Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core

New impressions of Final Fantasy VII CC for PSP.

Although it was originally announced nearly three years ago, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII was beginning to seem like vaporware. One would expect publisher Square Enix to heavily promote this action-RPG prequel to its most popular FF of all time, but several E3s and Tokyo Game Shows came and went with barely a trickle of concrete info. Thankfully, the veil has finally been completely lifted on the last announced "Compilation of Final Fantasy VII" project at the Square Enix Party 2007 event in Japan, and the game appears to have been well worth the wait.

Crisis Core's wildly convoluted narrative might sound like nonsense to the uninitiated, but it promises to fill in some massive plot holes for legions of FFVII faithfuls. Here, you assume the role of Zack Fair, Cloud Strife's fellow combatant in Shinra's elite SOLDIER unit. If you've played FFVII, you know that his tour of duty ends messily (thanks to a sniper's bullet and Cloud's ill-fated decision to subsume his pal's personality), yet you likely don't know the torrid details of Zack's life prior to meeting his blonde, spiky-haired friend.

Crisis Core introduces a host of new characters, including Angeal Hewley (Zack's gruff mentor within SOLDIER) and Genesis Rhapsodos (another member of the unit who disappears mysteriously at the game's outset). As intriguing as these new faces are, most fans are likely clamoring to catch a glimpse of returning FFVII cast members Sephiroth (prior to his descent into madness) and lovable flower-seller Aerith (who is Zack's love interest years before falling for Cloud). Plus, series veterans will surely be impressed by how Crisis Core delivers its narrative: Scads of fully voiced, impressively animated real-time cut-scenes pepper the action, and predictably gorgeous CG clips punctuate particularly epic moments.

[Click the image above to check out all Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core screens.]

Graphically, Crisis Core easily surpasses most PSP titles. The game's overall presentation sparkles with polish -- the weirdly proportioned character models of FFVII have been wisely scrapped in favor of the more realistic Advent Children designs, and stunningly expressive facial animation truly captures the emotion and drama inherent to the tale. Square Enix's artists have also managed to translate the memorable (yet tragically pre-rendered) world of FFVII into impressive 3D environments.

Traversing the expansive metropolis of Midgar feels appropriately evocative and nostalgic, and nearly every landmark you'd expect appears in a newly enhanced form. For FFVII fans, it's a real treat -- revisiting all the classic locales with this impressive new graphics engine feels far more genuine than the tragic letdown of Dirge of Cerberus (PS2).

Outside of the slightly uneven framerate that currently hampers the game's combat, the visuals in Crisis Core look truly awe-inspiring. The game's soundtrack sounds similarly accomplished, with a blend of nicely remixed FFVII tracks and crunchy, guitar-heavy pieces that help drive the action-packed battles.

And that combat looks to ultimately be Crisis Core's defining element: By transforming FFVII's turn-based encounters into real-time action affairs, the developers have effectively opened the game up to a new audience. Battles erupt frequently while players are running around the environments, but simple controls (you easily toggle between attacks, defense, magic, and items with the shoulder buttons, then activate with simple button presses) make these melees fast and enjoyable. Zack even auto-targets and runs up to his nearest foe, meaning that you can quickly dispatch weaker enemies with little effort.

Tougher fights (like a dramatic duel against Genesis in the demo we played) require more strategy, and some intensely cinematic combo attacks impart these duels with extra gravitas. We're not entirely sold on the bizarre slot machine mechanic that triggers special "Power Surge" events and summon spells, though: in the demo version, these effects seemed awfully random. Still, we're prepared to withhold judgment until we get some more hands-on time with this PSP killer app.

Crisis Core will launch in Japan on September 13th, alongside a limited edition PSP bundle commemorating the 10th anniversary of FFVII. No U.S. date has been revealed, but hope springs eternal for a holiday launch.